King's Indian Defense

The idea

Black plays ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6 and castles, while White takes the center with c4, d4 and e4. Then Black hits back, usually with ...e5. When White closes the center with d5, the game has a famous shape: White attacks on the queenside with c5, while Black attacks the king with ...f5 and a pawn storm.

Other main lines include the Sämisch with f3, the Four Pawns Attack with f4, and the Fianchetto with g3, where the fight is calmer. In all of them, the bishop on g7 is Black's best piece, so Black rarely trades it.

Dynamic and double-edged. Black gives White space on purpose and plays for a counter-attack. Races on opposite wings are common, and the side that is faster usually wins. Several world champions have used it to win famous attacking games.

Players who want an ambitious answer to 1.d4 and like attacking the king. It needs nerve, because Black often has to accept a cramped position for a while.

In the closed lines, timing is everything. Count your moves to the attack against White's moves to the queenside before you commit to ...f5.

The main line, move by move

1. 1.d4 · White takes space in the center with the queen's pawn, which the queen already guards, and opens the way for the bishop on c1. A solid, flexible first move.
2. 1...Nf6 · Black develops the knight and stops e4 for now. Black waits to see White's setup before placing the center pawns.
3. 2.c4 · White takes more space with a second pawn, which hits d5. The queen's knight can now come to c3 without blocking the c-pawn, and e4 may follow to build a wide center.
4. 2...g6 · Black prepares to put the bishop on g7, where it will press on the center along the long diagonal. This is the King's Indian: Black lets White build a big center and plans to strike at it later.
5. 3.Nc3 · White develops the knight and covers e4 ahead of time, so the pawn can advance there without being taken for free by the knight on f6.
6. 3...Bg7 · The bishop reaches g7, on the long diagonal behind the knight on f6. It will hit d4 and the queenside once the knight moves or the center opens, and Black can castle next.
7. 4.e4 · White takes the whole center with three pawns. It gives White more space and more room to develop; Black will have to challenge it with ...e5 or ...c5.
8. 4...d6 · Black supports the coming ...e5, the main strike at the center, and keeps the knight on f6 safe from the push e5. The bishop on c8 gets some room too.
9. 5.Nf3 · White develops the other knight, guards d4 and prepares to castle. Keeping d4 covered matters, because ...e5 is coming.
10. 5...O-O · Black castles before striking in the center. With the king safe, ...e5 comes next, and the rook on f8 will support a later ...f5 if the center closes.
11. 6.Be2 · The Orthodox Variation: White puts the bishop on a safe square, e2, and castles next. After ...e5 White often closes the center with d5 and plays on the queenside while Black attacks on the kingside.

Next moves in book

• 3...d5 · Grünfeld Defense
• 3...Bg7

Related openings

• Grünfeld Defense A56–E60 · 51 named lines
• Nimzo-Indian Defense E20–E59 · 68 named lines
• Catalan Opening E00–E09 · 15 named lines
• London System A48–D02 · 4 named lines